At the conclusion of three games, Colorado Buffaloes linebacker LaVonta Bentley has been a standout on Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’ defense.
Against Colorado State, he had five total tackles, along with a forced fumble that he also recovered. The defense was responsible for three turnovers against the Rams in a 28-9 victory. Flying around the field, Bentley caught the eyes of many.
“Every takeaway is big on the team. We’re just tryna win the turnover margin at the end of the day. Any takeaway will change the momentum of the game,” Bentley said during Tuesday’s press conference.
The Colorado defense was evidently hungry for takeaways. Bentley’s leadership on the field has allowed his group to regain confidence after a slow start to the season defensively.
In order for turnovers to happen, however, the defense must be on the same page. With the growing complexity of the college offense, defenses see more looks than ever. Motions, shifts and unique formations provide different challenges every week. Every successful defense is able to read the field at a high level.
Last year’s team struggled to communicate and effectively line up against offenses. This is what led to opposing teams putting up just under 35 points per game on the Buffs in 2023. In his second season with the Buffs, Bentley notices a big change.
“Communication, I'd say, is the biggest. Making sure everybody is aligned, making sure everybody knows their job. Just playing downhill, playing physical,” Bentley harped.
The preparation for the next game begins quickly after the previous one ends. Scouting its opponent and understanding its scheme is essential in CU’s game planning. This is an area of focus for Bentley and the linebacking group on a weekly basis.
“For us… film study, making sure that we know what's happening before it happens and we call it out and just be on top of it…be a step ahead,” Bentley said.
The college game moves fast. Bentley and the Buffs will now transition back home after playing on the road for the last two weeks. They welcome the Baylor Bears for their first conference game back in the Big 12.
“They try to run the ball, they got a good QB, a good two rotations. But at the end of the day it's the same stuff: zone, cut, insert. We gotta play downhill and on their line of scrimmage,” Bentley noted.
Bentley feels the defense can support more winning efforts moving forward. Carrying over the momentum from the previous game will have the defense charged up. He was passionate about describing the capabilities of the team.
“We gotta be consistent, we gotta start out fast, just have that energy, have that fire and once we do that this team is going to be crazy,” Bentley said.
Colorado kicks off against Baylor at 6 p.m. MT on Saturday on Fox.
Cover photo by CU Athletics/YouTube
Comments